Awaken

I was visiting my nephew yesterday morning and happened to be there when he first got up.  I picked him up from his crib, as he was not immediately happy to be awake, yet he knew he did not want to stay in his bed.  He came with me and as we sat down in the living room, he put his head on my shoulders as he was not quite convinced that he should be up and about just yet.  It took him a while before he warmed up to the idea that perhaps he should move forward with his morning and then the bundle of energy truly awoke as he scampered about the house not long after.  I thought about this moment and how it mirrors our own stages in life, when we are not fully engaged as we seek to awaken our inner selves.  Sometimes we get caught up in the day to day struggles of living, which can take us from working to caring for family, to this seemingly endless cycle that goes along a lot faster than we are aware of.  At times we can easily loose sight about staying in the present and we may sometimes forget to enjoy the everyday moments that bring us happiness or joy.  At different periods in our lives we may be faced with certain dilemmas that evoke that moment of change that had been needed for quite sometime.  It is interesting how life can make us awaken to these instances, whether we felt prepared for them or not.  It is easy to get caught up in the routine of our lives and before we know it, months have turned into years that have accrued as time has sculpted out your personal history.  We forget that as the living authors of our lives, we can determine what the next experience will be as we plan for the next great stage in our lives.  Therefore, we have to do our best in remembering to be present in the day that we are given and absorb it like a thirsty flower absorbs the morning dew.  When we make a concerted effort to embrace the many things in the day that can bring us joy, our lives become much more fulfilled and at the end of a  long day one can recall much to be thankful for.   So if you are one of those individuals that are going on about your days or weeks without paying a lot of attention to the details of your own life, make it a point to do so.  You will find much more to be grateful for and realize that there are many things that are bringing you closer to who you really are, while crafting the life experiences that you are most attracted to.